The Growing Place will celebrate its 40th anniversary with an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the DeKalb County Community Foundation, inside the historic train depot at 475 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore.

In February 1973, Betty Drake established The Growing Place as one of the first nonprofit child care programs in the area, serving 44 children. The Growing Place also provided the first before-and-after-school program in the state.

The center has been enriched by its longstanding collaboration with Kishwaukee College, Northern Illinois University and DeKalb School District 428.